


An Important Meeting

by buzzbuzz34



Series: Azu Week 2020 [3]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Book Club Time!, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:13:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26862697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buzzbuzz34/pseuds/buzzbuzz34
Summary: Azu organizes a Harrison Campbell book club for her new companions.
Series: Azu Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1956034
Comments: 6
Kudos: 24
Collections: Azu Week 2020





	An Important Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 3 of Azu Week 2020! Today's prompt was Colors/Campbell: Pinks and brightness; Romantic novels. I sort of combined the pinks and brightness with the prompt for tomorrow, so today is all about Campbell novels!

“Oh, _In the Fires of Fixation_! How do you like it?”

Azu looked up from her novel to address the person who had spoken. 

“Barnes? You… read Harrison Campbell?”

“Of course I do,” he replied, aghast. “Listen, there’s a lot of downtime on a ship, and I’ve been serving on ships most of my life. What better to read than some daring romance in a series that has dozens upon dozens of books?”

“Fair enough,” Azu said. “It was wrong of me to assume otherwise, just because you’ve got the whole swarthy pirate thing going on.” She smiled. “I guess I should know not to judge a book by its cover. But, I’m enjoying it! It’s a good tale.”

“It’s one of my favorites. Don’t get Wilde talking about it; he’ll never shut up.”

“Okay, I know I just said something about not judging a book by its cover and how I shouldn’t be surprised at you reading these sorts of novels, but _Wilde reads Harrison Campbell_?”

Barnes laughed and nodded. “Oh, _boy_ , does he.”

For a moment, Azu pondered, then suggested, “We should start a Campbell Book Club. You, me, Wilde, Zolf, and anybody else who enjoys them.”

“I mean, I’d be open to that. It’s hard when we’re all out on assignment in different places though.”

“At least for while we’re all together, then.”

Barnes gave an affirmative shrug. “Sure. Just tell me when.”

“Will do.”

*

Wilde was staring blankly at an unopened folder when Azu knocked on the doorframe to his office.

“Yes, Azu,” he said officially, greeting her as if she hadn’t just seen him totally zoned out. 

“I heard you like Harrison Campbell novels,” she began, and he rolled his eyes.

“Yes, what of it? Zolf and I spent a lot of time together, travelling and adventuring and what-not, so I eventually wound up reading some of the books he insisted on carrying with him at all times.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” Azu exclaimed, waving her hands to bat away any perceived ill-intent. “Zolf got me into Campbell too, when I was in quarantine. The first time I was in quarantine…” She paused, reminiscing, then continued, “I was talking to Barnes, and I thought, since there’s a handful of us here that read Campbell novels, maybe we should set up some sort of book club! Where we can all talk about our favorite books and characters and how nobody possibly could have predicted the plot twist at the end of _Sunlight and Shadow_ …”

Wilde gasped. “Having Isabelle be the traitor all along was a masterstroke of genius,” he said matter-of-factly, and Azu couldn’t disagree with him.

“That’s what I mean! We can all put aside work and fear for a little while, and talk about some fun, exciting romance novels instead.”

After thinking it over, Wilde nodded. “Where and when?”

“The lounge area, tonight at eight?”

“I’ll be there.”

*

“Zolf?” Azu peeked her head in the kitchen, where Zolf was covered in flour from a cooking preparation gone wrong. 

“What do you want?” He snapped, then let out a heavy breath. “Sorry, that was… Anyway, what can I help you with?” He said more calmly and unantagonistically. 

“I was setting up a Harrison Campbell book club,” Azu explained, absentmindedly stacking and putting away clean dishes while she spoke. “We can all talk over our favorite bits and-”

“Sounds great,” he interrupted. “Listen, you know I’m not the most talkative dwarf at the best of times, but if you want me to talk about Harrison Campbell, I’m not sure I’ll ever shut up.”

Azu chuckled. She didn't know if she believed it, but she was definitely sold on the book club plan since she might finally learn more about her curmudgeonly companion. 

“We’re meeting in the lounge at eight.”

Zolf stopped in his tracks and looked at her. “Eight? How am I supposed to get snacks prepped in only a few hours?”

“You don’t need to make snacks.”

“Of course I do! I’m going to make all the important snacks in the books; there’s the cucumber sandwiches from _Love’s Emboldened Betrayal_ , those citrus tea cakes… and don’t forget the modified mint julep!”

“There’s going to be four of us?” Azu added. “Maybe make only one of those snacks?”

He nodded. “You’re right. I’ll make one plot-relevant meal per book club meeting.”

Azu couldn’t help but smile at the idea that this might become a regular thing, a time for them all to put aside their differences and enjoy their favorite books.

“Let me know if you need a hand making anything.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” Zolf replied, his head already in a cupboard as he rummaged for the necessary ingredients. 

Azu took that as her cue to leave, so she headed on her way to warn Hamid that the lounge would be occupied with talk of his most hated author that evening, and then to gather up the novels Zolf had loaned to her. 

*

“Hey, what’s this I hear about a Harrison Campbell book club?”

Azu hadn’t even heard Carter approach, but she spun around to face him. 

“We’re having a little gathering to talk over the stories,” she elaborated.

“And you didn’t invite me? What’s your problem with me?”

“I didn’t know you liked Harrison Campbell! I didn’t ask either,” she muttered, brow furrowed. “I should have. I’m sorry.”

Carter huffed. “I was interested in Campbell’s work long before he became a world-renowned romance novelist. Back when he was just getting started.”

“I would love to hear your opinion about some of his older works!” Azu cried sincerely. “And how his writing has changed over the years!”

Carter’s eyes scanned Azu’s expression, trying to gauge if she was plotting against him, but then stated, “I’ll be at the club meeting, then.”

“It’s at eight-”

“In the lounge, yeah, I know.”

“See you then?” Azu called after him as he disappeared down the hall. She really hoped she and Carter could put aside their distaste for each other during the meeting; she could do so, she believed, but she wasn’t entirely sure about Carter.

*

It was nearly eight o’clock, and Azu was starting to get nervous. Would this be any fun? Would the group stop bickering long enough to have an involved conversation? Would any of them actually show up? 

As the clock chimed eight, however, Wilde came sauntering into the room, a stack of his own Campbell novels under his arm. A few moments later, Barnes and Carter arrived and took their seats. 

“Thank you for doing this,” Azu said, beaming. “I’m glad you all thought this was an alright idea.”

“Thank _you_ , honestly,” Barnes replied. 

“You can’t start yet, the snacks aren’t done!” Zolf exclaimed from the kitchen before bursting out of the door a moment later, a tray of drinks in hand. “Here, have a drink and wait, I have to finish the decorations.” Then, he disappeared as abruptly as he arrived.

Wilde took a drink and glanced at it. “Is this-”

“Jennifer’s favorite mint julep? It is,” Azu answered, and Wilde chuckled. 

“Zolf would, Zolf would,” he murmured before taking the first sip. 

The four club members sat quietly if not a little awkwardly while waiting for Zolf to arrive. Five minutes later, he emerged from the kitchen again, carrying a delicate arrangement of finger sandwiches, each one decorated with a rose on top. He set them on the table and flopped into a chair. 

“ _Now_ we can start.”

Azu didn’t know where to begin or how to host something like this, but she didn’t have to worry. Soon enough Wilde was bringing up his favorite plot points and couples, only for each to be praised or picked apart by one of their companions. The food and drink were an excellent, delicious bonus, but surrounded by friends, chatting about nothing serious, Azu couldn’t help but smile. This was what Harrison Campbell novels were really about.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Check out azuweek.tumblr.com for more amazing Azu content!
> 
> If you want to find more of my writing or learn about my original characters, head on over to kellanswritingblog.tumblr.com, or check out my personal, celsidebottom.tumblr.com <3


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